Tehelka case: Goa police returns without questioning Tarun Tejpal

New Delhi, Nov 24: Goa Police have not established contact with Tehelka founder and editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal, who is accused of sexually assaulting a junior colleague in a five-star hotel in Goa.

The team probing the case returned today after questioning three employees of the magazine who had been contacted by the victim to corroborate her version as it seized a hard disc and documents.

Tejpal is understood to be contemplating moving the court in this case

"We have not established contact with Tarun Tejpal yet," Deputy Inspector General of Police O.P. Mishra said at a press conference here.

A Goa Police team arrived in New Delhi Saturday and questioned Tehelka managing editor Shoma Chaudhury and other Tehelka employees.

Contrary to reports, the three-member police team, which had flown into Delhi from Panaji yesterday, left without questioning Tejpal.

The police had questioned Tehelka Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury for around nine hours from 4:45 PM yesterday to around 2 am at the magazine's office in posh Greater Kailash-II in South Delhi.

The investigating team took into custody the e-mail exchanges among Chaudhury, the woman journalist and Tejpal, a CPU, besides several documents. Other than that, Chaudhury's mobile phone, an iPad and her laptop were also screened by the police, according to the sources.

"Yesterday, at the Tehelka office, the Goa police took my deposition for about 9 hours, it was extremely courteous experience and I fully cooperated and showed every document that was relevant, every email exchange that was there between my colleagues, the management, it was shared, it was a good experience and I hope it helps bring clarity and justice to the entire case," Shoma said today.

Meanwhile, Tejpal is understood to be contemplating moving the court in this case. Media reports had earlier quoted him as saying that the victim is lying and that he is being framed. He also alleged that "political forces are driving much of it"